Rail connecter for toy railways



Dec. 11, 1934. w RQSENTHAL 1,983,777

RAIL CONNECTER FOR 'IOY RAILWAYS Filed May 19, 1935 22 T 23 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 499,877, filed December 4, 1930 which issued as Patent No. 1,914,168 on June 13, 1933. v

The object of the invention is to provide connecters for joining the ends of longitudinally abutting track rails and third rails of toy railways or of toy railway track sections, which connecters may be readily attached and detached and which will make good electrical connection with both abutting rails and form a bond between them, and at the same time will at least assist in holding the abutting rails in their operative positions with their treads in alinement vertically and horizontally.

The connectors may be used whether or not the rails are made of sheet metal having hollow heads with connecting pins extending thereinto. Preferably the connecter carries an integral terminal clip by which electrical connection is made between the conductor and both abutting rails to which the connecter is attached. Preferably, also, the connecter and the abutting rails have interengaging means so that when the connecter is attached, longitudinal separation of the rails is resisted, thus dispensing in some cases with the need for the usual tie plates for joining adjacent ties at the ends of abutting rail sections.

In any of the foregoing forms, the connecter is preferably stamped out of resilient sheet metal in the form of a clamp having portions for resiliently engaging the base flanges of the abutting rails on the upper and lower faces thereof or else enveloping or engaging the opposite edges of those flanges. Furthermore, either or both end portions of the connecter may be bent outwardly or flared to facilitate its attachment and detachment.

The accompanying drawing illustrating several embodiments of my invention, in application as examples to the rails of the usual toy railway track sections,

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation the fragments of abutting rails with a side connecter attached to the flanges thereof; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of another form of side connecter; Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of a connecter engaging the opposite edges of the flanges of abutting rails; Fig. 7 shows in side elevation, partly in section, two abutting rails with another form of connecter enveloping the opposite edges of the base flanges of the rails; Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 of Fig. '7; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged view in perspective of the connecter of Fig. 7.

In each embodiment, each rail comprises a head 1, a web 2 and a base flange 3, the rails being mounted on ties 4, 4. The usual connecting 'pin 5, as shown in Fig. '7, may be inserted in the hollow heads of the abutting rails of any or all of the other embodiments as well to hold the tread portions of the rails in alinement in operative position.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the side connecter 6 of sheet steel has clamping portions '7 and 8 which are arranged to engage, as shown, the upper and lower faces of the flanges of the abutting rails. The connecter has flared end portions 9 and 10 whereby either one or both of them may be grasped by the operator to attach and detach the connecter.

The embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 is generally similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, except that the side connecter 11 with its flared end portions 12 and 13 has, in addition, a conductor or wire terminal clip 14 punched out of the body of the connecter.

In the embodiment of Figs. 5 and 6, the connecter 15 is arranged to be 'clampingly attached to or snapped onto opposite edges of the base flanges of the abutting rails, and has flared end portion 16. Also it is provided with an integral terminal clip 18.

In the embodiment of Figs. '7, 8 and 9, the connector 19 envelops the opposite edges of the base flanges of the abutting rails and has flared end portions 20 and 20' and a terminal clip 21. Also, it is provided with four upwardly extending projections or teats 22 adapted to snap into two oppositely disposed holes or indentations 23 at the under side of the flanges 3 of each abutting rail near the adjacent ends thereof. When so positioned, these projections resist the separation of the rails and thereby reduce the tendency of the rails or track sections to spring open at the joint.

In each of the embodiments, the connecter makes good electrical contact with both of abutting rails and thereby forms an electrical bond between them. Also, the connecter acts or assists in holding the treads of the abutting rails in alinement. In each of the embodiments provided with a terminal clip, the conductor or wire clamped therein is effectively connected electrically to both of the abutting rails.

Having thus described my invention, what I 'claim is:

In a toy electric railway, the combination with longitudinally abutting rails having base flanges, of a stamped connecter formed of resilient metal, said connecter comprising a yoke and two flanged arms engaging said rail flanges, one of said arms being substantially longer than the other and being bent inwardly toward said yoke to form a loop, a U-shaped slot cut in the rounded side of said loop, and the metal tongue defined by said slot being bent outwardly, whereby the curved portion of said loop and said tongue form a connection for power supply leads.

LEON W. ROSENTHAL. 

